Hideo Tokoro

Hideo Tokoro (born August 22, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who last competed in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, Tokoro has also formerly competed for Vale Tudo Japan, ZST, Shooto, RINGS and K-1 Hero's.

Hideo Tokoro
Born (1977-08-22) August 22, 1977
Gifu, Japan
Other namesLittle Volk Han, The Magician of the Ring
NationalityJapanese
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight134 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)
DivisionHeavyweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Bantamweight
Flyweight
Fighting out ofGifu, Japan
TeamReversal Gym Tokoro Plus
Teacher(s)Kenichi Yamamoto
Akira Maeda
Mixed martial arts record
Total66
Wins34
By knockout5
By submission20
By decision9
Losses30
By knockout13
By submission6
By decision11
Draws2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Mixed martial arts career

Tokoro got his first contact with mixed martial arts in 1999, joining Kenichi Yamamoto's Power of Dream gym. He debuted in Titan Fighting Championship in 2000 and moved to multiple promotions, among them Fighting Network RINGS, Shooto, ZST and K-1, the latter of which signed him up for its HERO'S MMA promotion. Up to that point, as fighting wasn't enough to make a living, Tokoro had worked part-time as a janitor, an aspect which K-1 promoted heavily in order to show him as a humble, hard-working underdog figure.[1]

HERO'S

Tokoro had his debut in HERO'S in 2005 in the Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. He went against the well regarded Alexandre Franca Nogueira, and shocked pundits by knocking him out with a spinning backfist at the end of a fast-paced, back and forth match.[2] Tokoro advanced round against Shooto veteran Caol Uno, but he was controlled and damaged for a unanimous decision loss.[3]

On December 31, 2005, Tokoro faced Royce Gracie from the Gracie family at the K-1 PREMIUM Dynamite!!! event in a much publicited match. The bout had special stipulations, as Royce had demanded no judge decision and 10-minute rounds, and was fought at openweight, with the Brazilian outweighing Tokoro by 40 lbs. Still, Hideo gave an excellent performance, controlling the stand-up and forcing Gracie to play conservatively on his own field of strength.[1][4]

Immediately landing a punch combo and a high kick, the Japanese passed the first round in Gracie's guard, slamming him several times and bloodying his opponent's face with ground and pound, while Gracie kept himself active with heel kicks and short hammerfists. At the second, Tokoro fell in bad position upon trying a spinning kick, becoming entangled in a series of reversals both in the clinch and on the ground and being forced to defend a rear naked choke, but he ended the match again attacking Royce's guard. The match ended in a draw as stipulated, but Tokoro was seen by many as a moral victor, which boosted his popularity.[1][5]

At K-1 PREMIUM Dynamite!!! 2006, Tokoro faced another member of the Gracie family, this time Royce's brother, Royler, more similar to Tokoro in size and under regular rules. The Brazilian was successful in taking the fight to the mat, but Tokoro counterattacked from the bottom with unceasing submission attempts. Returning to their feet, Gracie tried to clinch, but Hideo landed a heavy jumping knee and knocked Royler down with punches. The Japanese would be momentarily thwarted after failing a flying Kimura lock attempt, but he swept Gracie and controlled him for the rest of the match, winning a unanimous decision.[5]

Tokoro also participated in Dynamite!! USA in 2007, submitting Brad Pickett by armbar.

Also in 2007, Tokoro faced RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura at the Dynamite!!! event. The heavier Tamura capitalized on his striking and wrestling advantage to control the bout, which forced Tokoro to absorb punishment and use every opportunity to scramble to try to get his game. At the third round, Tamura tried a Kimura lock, and although he couldn't twist the arm, he stretched it. Tokoro refused to tap out, but the match was eventually called off by submission.[6]

DREAM

Tokoro competed in DREAM's Featherweight Grand Prix where he lost in the first round to Daiki Hata,[7][8] but was brought back into the tournament and defeated Abel Cullum in the second round,[9] before losing to Hiroyuki Takaya in the semi-finals.[10]

Tokoro faced Antonio Banuelos in the opening Bantamweight Grand Prix round at DREAM 17 at Saitami Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sept. 24.[11] He lost the fight via split decision.[12]

Tokoro lost to Yusup Saadulaev in a tournament reserve bout on December 31, 2011,[13] at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 via KO (slam) in the first round.[14]

Vale Tudo Japan

Tokoro faced Rumina Sato at Vale Tudo Japan 2012 on December 24, 2012.[15] Tokoro defeated Sato by TKO in the first round.[16]

He then faced Taylor McCorriston at Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 2nd on June 22, 2013.[17] Tokoro won the fight via heel hook submission.[18]

In his latest fight, Tokoro faced UFC veteran Will Campuzano at Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 3rd on October 5, 2013.[19] He lost the fight via split decision.[20]

Other promotions

Fighting outside of Vale Tudo Japan, Tokoro faced Victor Henry at Grandslam MMA: Way of the Cage on July 13, 2014. He lost the fight via second-round TKO.[21]

Bellator MMA

Tokoro made his Bellator debut against LC Davis on March 27, 2015 at Bellator 135.[22] He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.

Rizin Fighting Federation

In his debut for the Rizin Fighting Federation, Tokoro faced Kizaemon Siaga on December 29, 2015. He won the fight via submission due to an arm bar in the first round.

In his second fight for the promotion, Tokoro faced Kron Gracie on September 25, 2016 at Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: First Round. He lost the fight via submission in the first round.

In his third fight for the promotion, Tokoro faced Asen Yamamoto on December 31, 2016 at Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: Final Round. He won the fight via submission in the first round.

In his next fight for Rizin, Tokoro faced Kyoji Horiguchi in the first round of the Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix on July 30, 2017 at Rizin 6. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Fighting style

Tokoro uses a style described as "breakneck paced" and "exciting."[1][2] A skilled grappler, he works at high-speed on the ground and takes all risks with bold submission attempts, often leaving himself open to counterattacks in order to seek a chance to win. He favors shoot wrestling-inspired entries and leglocks, but is known for his brilliant positional work too.[1] Despite this, he is also dangerous on his feet, counting on fast punches and jumping knees,[2] as well as unorthodox attacks like spinning backfists and even spinning heel kicks.[2][3]

Championships and accomplishments
  • DREAM
    • 2011 DREAM Japanese Bantamweight Grand Prix Champion [23]
    • 2009 DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinalist [23]
  • Yahoo! Sports

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
66 matches 34 wins 30 losses
By knockout 5 13
By submission 20 6
By decision 9 11
Draws 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 34–30–2 Kyoji Horiguchi KO (punches) Rizin World Grand Prix 2017 Opening Round - Part 1 July 30, 2017 1 1:49 Saitama, Japan 2017 Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix First Round
Win 34–29–2 Asen Yamamoto Submission (armbar) Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: Final Round December 31, 2016 1 1:19 Saitama, Japan
Loss 33-29-2 Kron Gracie Submission (rear-naked choke) Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: First Round September 25, 2016 1 9:45 Saitama, Japan
Win 33–28–2 Kizaemon Siaga Submission (armbar) Rizin Fighting Federation 1: Day 1 December 29, 2015 1 5:15 Saitama, Japan
Loss 32–28–2 LC Davis Decision (split) Bellator 135 March 27, 2015 3 5:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma
Loss 32–27–2 Victor Henry TKO (punches) Grandslam MMA: Way of the Cage July 13, 2014 2 1:52 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 32–26–2 Will Campuzano Decision (split) Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 3rd October 5, 2013 3 5:00 Tokyo, Japan
Win 32–25–2 Taylor McCorriston Submission (heel hook) Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 2nd June 22, 2013 2 2:34 Tokyo, Japan
Win 31–25–2 Rumina Sato TKO (punches & elbows) Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 1st December 24, 2012 1 0:39 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 30–25–2 Yusup Saadulaev KO (slam) DREAM: Fight for Japan December 31, 2011 1 0:42 Saitama, Japan DREAM Bantamweight Tournament reserve bout
Loss 30–24–2 Antonio Banuelos Decision (split) DREAM 17 September 24, 2011 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan DREAM Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Win 30–23–2 Masakazu Imanari Decision (unanimous) DREAM: Japan GP Final July 16, 2011 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix Final
Win 29–23–2 Atsushi Yamamoto Decision (split) Dream: Fight for Japan! May 29, 2011 2 5:00 Saitama, Japan DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinal
Win 28–23–2 Yoshiro Maeda TKO (corner stoppage) DREAM: Fight for Japan! May 29, 2011 2 0:43 Saitama, Japan DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Win 27–23–2 Kazuhisa Watanabe Submission (armbar) Dynamite!! 2010 December 31, 2010 3 2:50 Saitama, Japan
Loss 26–23–2 Joachim Hansen Submission (triangle choke) DREAM 16 September 25, 2010 1 2:48 Nagoya, Japan
Loss 26–22–2 Akiyo Nishiura TKO (punches) DREAM 14 May 29, 2010 1 2:51 Saitama, Japan
Win 26–21–2 Kim Jong-Man Decision (unanimous) Dynamite!! The Power of Courage 2009 Dec 31, 2009 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Loss 25–21–2 Hiroyuki Takaya TKO (punches) DREAM 11 Oct 6, 2009 2 0:32 Yokohama, Japan DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinal
Win 25–20–2 Abel Cullum Submission (rear-naked choke) DREAM 9 May 26, 2009 2 1:38 Yokohama, Japan DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Loss 24–20–2 Daiki Hata Decision (unanimous) DREAM 8 April 5, 2009 2 5:00 Nagoya, Japan DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Opening Round
Loss 24–19–2 Daisuke Nakamura Submission (armbar) Fields Dynamite!! 2008 December 31, 2008 1 2:23 Saitama, Japan
Loss 24–18–2 Atsushi Yamamoto Decision (unanimous) Dream 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round September 23, 2008 2 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 24–17–2 Takeshi Yamazaki Decision (unanimous) Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round July 21, 2008 2 5:00 Osaka, Japan
Win 23–17–2 Darren Uyenoyama Decision (unanimous) Dream 4: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Second Round June 15, 2008 2 5:00 Yokohama, Japan
Loss 22–17–2 Kiyoshi Tamura Submission (straight armbar) K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! December 31, 2007 3 3:08 Osaka, Japan
Win 22–16–2 Wataru Inatsu Submission (armbar) Zst 15: Fifth Anniversary November 23, 2007 1 1:35 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 21–16–2 Kultar Gill TKO (punches) HERO'S 9 July 16, 2007 1 4:47 Yokohama, Japan HERO'S 2007 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Win 21–15–2 Brad Pickett Submission (armbar) Dynamite!! USA June 2, 2007 1 2:41 Los Angeles, California
Win 20–15–2 Kazuya Yasuhiro Submission (armbar) HERO'S 8 March 12, 2007 1 3:00 Nagoya, Japan
Win 19–15–2 Royler Gracie Decision (unanimous) K-1: Premium 2006 Dynamite!! December 31, 2006 3 5:00 Osaka, Japan
Win 18–15–2 Ken Kaneko Submission (armbar) HERO'S 7 October 9, 2006 1 1:50 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 17–15–2 Ivan Menjivar Decision (majority) HERO'S 6 August 5, 2006 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan HERO'S 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Loss 17–14–2 Kultar Gill KO (knee) HERO'S 5 May 3, 2006 1 0:43 Tokyo, Japan HERO'S 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round.
Win 17–13–2 Yoshinori Ikeda Submission (triangle choke) HERO'S 4 March 15, 2006 1 0:49 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 16–13–2 Erikas Petraitis KO (knee) Zst 9 February 18, 2006 2 4:03 Tokyo, Japan
Draw 16–12–2 Royce Gracie Draw K-1: Premium 2005 Dynamite!! December 31, 2005 2 10:00 Osaka, Japan
Win 16–12–1 Gabe Lemley Submission (triangle choke) K-1 World MAX 2005 Champions Challenge October 12, 2005 1 1:12 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 15–12–1 Caol Uno Decision (unanimous) HERO'S 3 September 7, 2005 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan HERO'S 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Win 15–11–1 Alexandre Franca Nogueira KO (spinning back fist) HERO'S 2 July 6, 2005 3 0:08 Tokyo, Japan
Win 14–11–1 Erikas Petraitis Decision Shooto Lithuania: Chaosas April 7, 2005 N/A N/A Vilnius, Lithuania
Loss 13-11–1 Masahiro Oishi Decision (split) Zst: Grand Prix 2 Final Round January 23, 2005 3 3:00 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 13–10–1 Darius Skliaudys Decision Shooto Lithuania: Bushido November 20, 2004 2 5:00 Vilnius, Lithuania
Win 13–9–1 Shuichiro Katsumura Submission (guillotine choke) Zst: Grand Prix 2 Opening Round November 3, 2004 1 0:38 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 12–9–1 Naoyuki Kotani Submission (heel hook) Zst 6 September 12, 2004 1 1:44 Tokyo, Japan
Win 12–8–1 Shinya Sato Submission (triangle choke) Zst: Battle Hazard 1 July 4, 2004 1 3:23 Tokyo, Japan
Win 11–8–1 Remigijus Morkevicius Submission (triangle choke) Zst 5 May 5, 2004 1 3:30 Tokyo, Japan
Win 10–8–1 Erikas Petraitis Submission (rear-naked choke) Shooto Lithuania: Vendetta April 4, 2004 2 3:40 Vilnius, Lithuania
Loss 9–8–1 Tomomi Iwama TKO (head kicks) Zst: Grand Prix Final Round January 11, 2004 1 0:53 Tokyo, Japan
Win 9–7–1 Masahiro Oishi Submission (armbar) Zst: Grand Prix Opening Round November 23, 2003 1 3:13 Tokyo, Japan
Win 8–7–1 Taiyo Nakahara Submission (armbar) Zst: The Battlefield 4 September 7, 2003 1 4:56 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 7–7–1 Remigijus Morkevicius KO (knees) Zst: The Battlefield 3 June 1, 2003 1 2:54 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 7–6–1 Antanas Jazbutis Decision (1–0 points) RINGS Lithuania: Bushido Rings 7: Adrenalinas April 5, 2003 2 5:00 Vilnius, Lithuania
Win 7–5–1 Hidehiko Matsumoto Decision (split) Zst: The Battlefield 2 March 9, 2003 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan
Win 6–5–1 Atsuhiro Tsuboi Submission (armbar) Zst: The Battlefield 1 November 23, 2003 2 4:09 Tokyo, Japan
Win 5–5–1 Masaya Takita TKO (cut) GCM: Demolition 02/09/08 September 8, 2002 1 1:41 Japan
Win 4–5–1 Takumi Yano Decision (unanimous) Premium Challenge May 6, 2002 1 10:00 Tokyo, Japan
Draw 3-5–1 Miki Shida Draw (time limit) Pancrase: Spirit 2 February 17, 2002 2 5:00 Osaka, Japan
Loss 3–5 Naoyuki Kotani Decision (majority) RINGS: Battle Genesis Vol. 8 September 21, 2001 3 5:00 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 3–4 Takayuki Yamamoto TKO Titan Fighting Championship 4 July 1, 2001 1 3:50 Tokyo, Japan
Win 3–3 Akira Nitagai Submission (heel hook) Titan Fighting Championship 4 July 1, 2001 1 5:12 Tokyo, Japan
Win 2–3 Sumio Koyano TKO Titan Fighting Championship 4 July 1, 2001 1 0:56 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 1–3 Masashi Suzuki TKO (punches) Titan Fighting Championship 3 April 30, 2001 1 1:57 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 1–2 Yuji Hisamatsu TKO (punches) Titan Fighting Championship 2 January 21, 2001 1 0:56 Tokyo, Japan
Win 1–1 Wataru Yoshikawa Submission (armbar) Titan Fighting Championship 2 January 21, 2001 1 2:19 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 0–1 Naoto Ichikawa Submission (rear-naked choke) Titan Fighting Championship 1 September 29, 2000 2 3:59 Tokyo, Japan

Submission grappling record

KO PUNCHES

Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Notes
Loss Ikuhisa MinowaSubmission (ankle hold)Quintet Fight Night 4November 30, 20191
Loss Shutaro DebanaSubmission (sode guruma jime)Quintet Fight Night 2February 3, 20191
Loss Dan StraussSubmission (guillotine choke)QuintetApril 11, 20181
Loss Dong Sik YoonSubmission (sode guruma jime)QuintetApril 11, 20181
Win Hyun Jun KimSubmission (armbar)QuintetApril 11, 20181
Draw Wanderlei Silva and Kiyoshi TamuraDrawRizin FF 12016115:00Partnered with Kazushi Sakuraba
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gollark: i.osmarks.tk is restored with limited capacity.
gollark: It's immenseBEE frustrating.

References
  1. Snowden, Jonathan. MMA Encyclopedia, ECW Press, 2010
  2. K-1 HERO'S 2 Middlekyu Sekai Saikyo Oja Kettei Tournament (Middleweight World's Strongest Champion Decision Tournament) 7/6/05 Tokyo Kokuritsu Yoyogi Taiikukan, Quebrada.com
  3. K-1 HERO'S 3 9/7/05 Tokyo Ariake Coliseum, Quebrada.com
  4. K-1 Archives - K-1 Story .. Kudos for Kid Dynamite!
  5. K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!! 12/31/06 Osaka Kyocera Dome, Quebrada.com
  6. K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! 12/31/07 Osaka Kyocera Dome, Quebrada.com
  7. "DREAM reveals opening-round match-ups for featherweight grand prix". mmajunkie.com. February 19, 2009.
  8. "Dream.8: Daiki Hata vs. Hideo Tokoro". tapology.com. April 5, 2009.
  9. "DREAM Announces 2nd Round Match Ups For Featherweight GP". mmanews.com. April 10, 2009.
  10. "Dream 11: Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Hideo Tokoro". tapology.com. October 6, 2009.
  11. "Bantamweight Pairings Announced for Grand Prix at Dream 17". MMAWeekly.com. August 5, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  12. "DREAM 17 results recap for last night's (Sept. 23) 'Fight for Japan 2' event". mmamania.com. September 24, 2011.
  13. "Aoki vs. Kitaoka, Tokoro vs. Saadulaev Added to 'Genki Desu Ka!!'". mmafighting.com. November 29, 2011.
  14. "HDNet Fights Video Vault: Saadulaev vs. Tokoro at 'DREAM: New Year! 2011'". mmajunkie.com. April 25, 2012.
  15. "Rumina Sato/Hideo Tokoro, Carlo Prater/Kuniyoshi Hironaka added to VTJ". asianmma.com. November 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  16. "Vale Tudo Japan 2012 Results: Tokoro blasts Sato, Hironaka beats Prater". bloodyelbow.com. December 24, 2012.
  17. "Vale Tudo Japan 2 updates: Caol Uno, Hideo Tokoro & Hiroyuki Takaya added to the card". thefightnation.com. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  18. "Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 2nd gifs and results". bloodyelbow.com. July 1, 2013.
  19. "Hideo Tokoro vs. Will Campuzano Headline VTJ 3rd". mmaweekly.com. August 31, 2013.
  20. "Vale Tudo Japan - VTJ 3rd Results". sherdog.com. October 5, 2013.
  21. "Victor Henry Takes Out Tokoro, Nam Phan Rebounds at Grandslam MMA 'Way of the Cage'". sherdog.com. July 13, 2014.
  22. Marc Raimondi (March 4, 2015). "L.C. Davis vs. Hideo Tokoro added to Bellator 135, full fight card announced". mmafighting.com.
  23. http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/mma/mmaindex.html
  24. https://sports.yahoo.com/news/best-of-2015--mma-half-year-awards-042333339-mma.html
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